FP7 Space Info > SME special - Part 1
SME special - Part 1
Support measures and funding opportunities besides FP7 Space
for SMEs interested in Space research
Table of content
1. Introduction
2. FP7 besides the Space programme
2.1 Cooperation Programme
2.2 Capacities Programme
2.3 People Programme - “Marie-Curie Actions”
2.4 SME NCP network
2.5 EraSME
2.6 CORNET
2.7 USEandDIFFUSE
3. European Space Agency
Small and Medium-sized Enterprises are defined as enterprises which: Methodology: The task leader together with the major contributors performed a research to identify SME support measures (including projects). As there might be national ones all Space NCPs was asked to look for those and announce them. The outcome is this report about such measures and projects. There is a life besides Space in FP7. Space relevant topics can very often be found within other FP7 themes. This raises the chance to find a call that is soon published. R&D performing SMEs: Thematic areas not SME specific · Information & communication technologies R&D acquiring SMEs: Bottom-up approach, Market oriented 2.3 People Programme - “Marie-Curie Actions” 2.6 CORNET 2.7 USEandDIFFUSE How to do business with ESA ESA Industry Portal
1. Introduction
Sometimes researchers have research or project ideas that don’t fit into the Space work programme of FP7 or the clients don’t want to wait until the next call. In such cases it is useful to know some alternative sources for funding. General information can be found on the European Portal for SMEs: http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/sme/ Main objective: In Space projects of previous EU Framework Programmes and ESA programmes commercial enterprises and thus SMEs played a more important role than in other thematic priorities. Therefore Space relevant SME related support measures were started. The objective of this task was to learn about them.
· employ fewer than 250 persons and
· have an annual turnover not exceeding EUR 50 million or
· an annual balance sheet total not exceeding EUR 43 million.
Expected result: Through this study, COSMOS partners can better consult their SME clients. They will also look for possible weak points of the existing structures. In case they identify such a feedback will be given to the EC or suitable national approaches to fill gaps will be initiated.
2. FP7 besides the Space programme
The specific programme 'Cooperation' supports all types of research activities carried out by different research bodies in trans-national cooperation. Most Space related themes are:
· Nanosciences, nanotechnologies, materials & new production technologies
· Environment (including Climate Change)
· Transport (including aeronautics)
· Security
The specific Programme Capacities is divided in seven broad areas. Particularly SME-relevant is:
Research for the benefit of SMEs:
The aim of this area is to strengthen the 'innovation capacity' of SMEs in Europe and their contribution to the development of new technology based products and markets. The programme supports them to outsource research, increase their research efforts, extend their networks, better exploit research results and acquire technological know how, bridging the gap between research and innovation.
The main sub area addresses “Supporting SMEs outsourcing research activities”. This support aims at SMEs or SME associations in need of outsourcing research to providers of research services ('RTD performers') such as universities, research centres or other, more specialised SMEs. It is implemented through two distinct schemes:
· Research for SMEs - targeting mainly low to medium technology SMEs with little or no research capability, but also high-tech SMEs who need to outsource research to complement their core research capability. Projects aim at creating new knowledge or producing results with clear potential to improve or develop new products, processes or services for the participating SMEs.
· Research for SME associations - targeting associations which act on behalf of their SME members to identify and address common technical problems and to promote the effective dissemination and take-up of results. Projects in this activity may address topics such as pre-normative research issues, technological problems related to the development and implementation of legislation, and technological problems of whole industrial sectors.
R&D performing SMEs: Movement of researchers, not SME specific
Marie-Curie Actions are dedicated to human resources in research. They provide budget for training, mobility and career development means. Funding measures to encourage young researchers and support early stages of scientific career, as well as measures to reduce the 'brain drain', such as reintegration grants, were introduced. All Marie Curie actions have a bottom-up approach, i.e. research fields are chosen freely by the applicants. One activity specifically addresses industry enterprises, in particular SMEs.
Industry-Academia Partnerships and Pathways (IAPP)
The aim of IAPP is to foster co-operation between public research organisations and private commercial enterprises based on joint research projects or programmes. These partnerships aim to stimulate long-term collaboration between the sectors and address the perceived or real barriers which inhibit movement of researchers between the public and private research domains.
The private sector enterprises taking part may be of all sizes. Given their relatively weak participation in the past, the Commission is keen to encourage SMEs to apply, although the inclusion of an SME in the proposal is not conceived as an advantage in itself. Each IAPP project must involve at least one university/research centre in the public sector and at least one enterprise from the private sector. It can be coordinated either by a public or private sector research organisation.
2.4
Alike the National Contact Points (NCPs) for Space organised in the network COSMOS a similar activity exists from SME NCPs. This provides access to the national SME NCPs and offers further support mainly on project partner search and through events.
More information on: http://www.ncp-sme.net/
2.5
EraSME is an FP7 ERA-NET initiative covering research and innovation programmes from 16 countries/regions. It wants to enhance the competitive capacity of SMEs by means of:
· initiating collaboration between SMEs from different countries and regions.
· helping SMEs to link up with those RTOs that can provide help in tackling the SMEs' unique research challenges.
· increasing the cooperative and competitive capability of SMEs to work in international Research and Development (R&D) networks.
· expanding the ability of RTOs to cooperate with European SMEs.
Project participants will be funded by the respective national funding programmes according to the regulations of their corresponding national and/or regional programme participating in the EraSME call.
More information on: http://www.era-sme.net
Another ERA-Net addressing SMEs is CORNET. It networks national and regional programmes for collective research to promote cooperation between SME associations and research organisations across Europe. Twice a year CORNET issues calls for proposals for transnational cooperation projects in the field of collective research and technological development. The calls follow a bottom-up approach, i.e. research topics are not pre-defined and can be decided by applicants themselves. Funding will be made available through national or regional programmes.
CORNET thus enables consortia of SME associations, SMEs and research institutes all over Europe to work together in transnational projects to perform research for the benefit of SMEs.
More information on: http://www.cornet-era.net
The FP7 co-funded project USEandDIFFUSE collected best practises on dissemination and exploitation of results obtained in research projects realised with the participation of the SME sector. As a result they published a guide to the successful use and dissemination of research results on their website.
More information on: http://www.useanddiffuse.eu
3. European Space Agency
The European Space Agency (ESA) mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability. ESA is an international organisation with 18 Member States. By coordinating the financial and intellectual resources of its members, it can undertake programmes and activities far beyond the scope of any single European country. Normally just the member states and cooperating countries can do business with ESA. The following portals on business with ESA are available:
· How to do business with ESA
· ESA Industry Portal
· Small and Medium-sized Enterprises
· Technology Transfer
· Technology Business Opportunities
· ESA Telecom for professionals
· ISS Business
· Earth Observation Market Development
'How to do business with ESA' aims at presenting the complete ESA procurement system in a narrative and coherent way.
The Industry Portal is serving industry and R&D entities as the entry point to ESA when looking for industry news, business opportunities or information on how to do business with ESA.
Small and Medium-sized Enterprises
ESA actively encourages SMEs to become involved in its space programmes. The aim is to enable ESA, and the European space industry, to tap into the potential of innovative SMEs and to open up opportunities for them to work more extensively with ESA and its space contractors.
Technology Transfer
ESA’s Technology Transfer Programme Office (TTPO) has successfully transferred over 200 space technologies to non-space sectors. The activities of TTPO have also led to the creation of a number of new start-up companies in Europe, many of which have been promoted through ESA’s Business Incubator.
Technology Business Opportunities
The Agency runs a suite of preparatory programmes covering various different technical maturity levels and domains.
· The Basic Technology Research Programme (TRP) is responsible for early development stages, taking cutting-edge ideas and testing their suitability for space applications.
· The General Support Technology Programme (GSTP) takes previously proven innovations through to succeeding stages of engineering, finally evolving fully-tested hardware ready for adoption by future missions.
ESA Telecom for professionals
The TIA Advanced Research in Telecommunications Systems (ARTES) programme enables European and Canadian industry to explore, through research and development (R&D) activities, innovative concepts to produce leading-edge satcom products and services.
ARTES offers varying degrees of support to projects with different levels of operational and commercial maturity. The scope and plans for its pursuit are incorporated into the Telecommunications Long-Term Plan (TLTP), the blueprint for ESA's actions over a five-year time frame.
ISS Business
You want to perform an R&D experiment or a technology demonstration on the International Space Station (ISS)? The European Space Agency provides access to the ISS and other low gravity platforms to commercial customers and supports them in implementing their R&D and technology demonstration.
Earth Observation Market Development
Integrating Space based Monitoring into Industry Practices: Earth Observation Market Development (EOMD) aims to foster the use of Earth Observation (EO) based geo-information services within new market sectors. EOMD supports and funds the EO service industry to grow their business by attracting new clients and encouraging partnership building.
More information on: http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMUPUZXDUF_index_0.html
European Commision COSMOS is financed by the European Commision, DG Enterprise and Industry within the 7th EU Framework Programme